


Bittersweet

by ProudGeek4Ever



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 13:22:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20565035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProudGeek4Ever/pseuds/ProudGeek4Ever
Summary: Marinette should be up over the moon. She should be happy and excited and everything in between. But she's not. It's impossible when this chapter of her life has such a bittersweet ending. Saltinette. Chameleon.





	1. Marinette Dupain-Cheng

It was an unfamiliar feeling.

It felt so weird and there was no word she knew that could sum it up.

That clenching in her gut was only getting worse.

Her stomach was making a spot on impression of a roller coaster.

It wasn't that big of a surprise.

She'd skipped breakfast after all.

Kind of hard to eat when you are busy freaking out.

Today had probably been the one day in her life that she hadn't overslept.

She hadn't slept either, but that was beside the point.

All that was completely normal.

It was just nerves.

The feeling she couldn't identify was different.

She could feel the smile on her face.

It was small and strained.

Sad.

She was quite sure that if anyone would look into her eyes they'd see something different from the usual vibrant blues.

They'd probably be glassy and give off a far away look.

This was a big opportunity for her and it would be the start of her career.

It was amazing.

She would soon be in a first class seat on her way to New York.

She'd never even been outside of Paris before.

Now she was in the gate waiting to fly first class.

It was unbelievable on so many levels.

If that wasn't enough she was going to be working with Audrey Bourgeois, the biggest fashion icon in the world.

A dream come true wouldn't even begin to describe it.

She had never in her wildest dreams dared to dream something this good.

It would be her chance to enter the fashion world.

She wasn't even fifteen yet and she was well on her way to becoming a fashion designer.

Think of what she could learn from Mrs. Bourgeois or Audrey as she'd asked to be called.

First name basis with a fashion guru.

Could she put that on her resumé?

She would get first hand experience in the field she loved.

New York was a place of opportunities and she could see so many in her near future.

She would get to observe and learn from a lot of talented people.

Think about how many contacts she would be able to make?

Not only contacts, but maybe friends too.

She'd be continuing her education with online classes and tutors if she needed them.

She'd get to practice the basic english she'd learnt in school.

It would probably be a priority of hers to learn the language better.

Her dream of becoming a fashion designer wasn't just a dream anymore.

It had become a plan and a fulfillable one at that.

Audrey had even talked about letting her design her own collection for fashion week.

It was crazy and fantastic and many more similar adjectives.

It was an adventure.

She should feel excited or at least happy.

This is what she always wanted.

And it is.

But sitting there in the gate with her pink suitcase at her feet and her passport in hand led to a startling realisation.

She'd always thought it would be different.

Her classmates should have come to the airport to wave her off.

Alya would hug her and make her promise to send daily updates.

She'd laugh and assure her that she would stay in contact.

She would stumble over her words when it became Adrien's turn to say goodbye.

Everyone would wish her luck and tell her to take loads of pictures to show them when she inevitable visited.

None of that had happened.

Not one of them came.

She didn't think they knew she was leaving.

They probably wouldn't come even if they did.

It should hurt, but she was already past that.

She just felt empty.

It was a nice break from all the feelings of betrayal.

It had been tiring.

They were the reason she was actually going through with this.

In one week Lila had managed to turn them all against her.

One week was all it had taken for her friends to turn their backs on her.

Adrien made it clear he valued the liar's feelings more than hers.

Her crush didn't last long after she understood that.

When she had come to grips with the fact that she didn't have any friends left to stay for she'd thought long and hard.

She'd talked with Tikki.

She told her kwami everything she felt and how she couldn't take it anymore.

It was Tikki that suggested taking Audrey up on her offer.

She needed to get away.

Far away.

New York was an entire continent away.

They discussed it for a long time.

It took several hours to come to a decision.

Then all it took was a conversation with her parents and a phone call.

Saying goodbye to Tikki had been the hardest thing with all of this.

They told Master Fu that she couldn't be Ladybug anymore because of personal reasons.

He had to find a new holder for the miraculous.

She had only left a letter to Chat Noir.

And here she was.

Sitting in a gate on her way to the next chapter of her life.

She wanted to feel happy.

She really did.

It was impossible though.

This would be a new start, but it wasn't without sacrifices and it wasn't without bad circumstances.

"Are you okay?" the blonde next to her asked.

That had not been planned.

Chloe had been the only one that stayed by her side when everyone else turned against her and now she was coming with them to New York.

An apology and better behaviour didn't erase all their history, but it was a beginning.

But back to the question at hand.

Was she okay?

She turned her head to face Chloe. "I will be".

And she was sure of it.

The weird feeling didn't go away.

It stayed as they started boarding the plane.

The sad smile and the thoughtful eyes stayed.

She shook her head and bit her tongue to stop a laugh from coming out.

Marinette might not know the name of the feeling, but she now had a word for it.

It was all so very bittersweet.


	2. Chat Noir

He was confused.

"What do you mean she's not coming back?"

The answer wasn't the most telling.

Personal reasons.

The guardian himself didn't seem to know what that entailed.

But somehow he was soon sitting on the top of the Eiffel Tower with a letter from his lady in his hand.

She had left something.

It wasn't a real goodbye or an explanation, but this would do.

He didn't open it directly.

The envelope itself was a piece of Ladybug he needed to take in first.

The front was decorated with different colours of pens and in the middle _Chat Noir _was sprawled in neat cursive.

She had put a lot of time on it.

That much was clear.

It even had a red wax seal with a ladybug.

He didn't know they made those.

Maybe his lady made it herself.

Shaking hands fumbled to open the letter that could very well be the last thing he'd ever hear or well read from his former partner.

Chat Noir had jumped of buildings with nothing but a stick to break his fall and he had fought so many kinds of terrifying.

It was an other kind of bravery that was needed to actually start reading.

_Dear Chaton._

_We had a good run, didn't we? Being a superhero has been a learning experience. I can proudly say that I've learnt a lot from being Ladybug. It's helped me with my confidence and it has brought out traits in me I didn't know that I had. I'm not that scared little girl that didn't know her own worth anymore._

_I am strong, and confident, and brave. I know how to find creative solutions that no one saw coming to problems that many times are surreal. I can honestly say that I've scaled the Eiffel Tower more than once and run on rooftops. I am a leader and a protector. I can do anything I put my mind to and impossible just means it will take more time to accomplish._

_This is all things that I would never dream of saying when we started._

_I've accomplished a lot and most of it are because of you. Did you know that I tried giving away my miraculous after the first Stoneheart attack? You were so close to having another girl as partner. I had put the earrings in her bag and everything. She left the bag with me and I still had it when I came across both you and the girl. You were in trouble and it made me put on the earrings again._

_In hindsight it was a coward's way out. I didn't want the responsibility that I thought I couldn't take. I were running away._

_That's not what I'm doing now._

_I got an offer some time ago. It was a dream come true. I've always wanted to work within an especially competitive and tough industry and this was my way in. One of the best within the industry with connections and skills in the area asked me to become her protege. It was everything I'd ever wanted and a lot more. It was my chance to be what I've always wanted to. There was a catch though. I'd have to move to America._

_I declined._

_What else could I do? I had a life to think of. My parents were so excited. They told me they'd support me whatever I'd choose. My friends were supportive too. They knew how hard I'd worked for this. If I'm being honest I would have said yes on the spot if it wasn't for one small detail. Ladybug was my responsibility and I didn't want to leave you._

_What can I say? I made my decision and I were ready to deal with the what ifs, but then everything changed._

_I don't have any friends anymore. A new girl in my class turned them all against me with lies. All my friends were more than willing to turn their backs on me and believe a stranger. The only person that didn't believe the lies were my old crush._

_Remember the boy I liked? Liked is the right word because any positive feelings are now in the past. He knew what the liar was doing, but chose to ignore it in the spirit of not hurting her feelings. What about my feelings? The high road is a lonely place to be and an even lonelier place when it's not where you want to be._

_I can't take it anymore. Too much of my time has been spent crying, raging and worrying about people that evidently doesn't care about me in the slightest. I've nearly been akumatized more times than I can count and I won't be able to fend of the akumas forever. Being in Paris is clearly bad for my mental health. Ladybug can't be akumatized. That means I can't be either._

_I'm taking the woman up on her offer and leaving the country._

_I'll be on my flight when you get this._

_I know it's not the goodbye you deserve, but I don't think I'd be able to go through with this if I had to look you in the eyes. You've been the best partner a girl could ask for and I'm begging you to give the new Ladybug a chance. She hasn't done anything wrong._

_This is goodbye, but also thank you. Thank you for all the memories we made. The fights we won and the people we fought. All those stolen moments in the quiet times and all the patrols we've done. The smiles and the encouragement. All those awful puns that you seem to love. Thanks for all of it. It will stay by my side forever._

_I might be handing in my miraculous, but it doesn't mean I'll stop being Ladybug. She'll always be with me. She's too big a part of me to let go._

_Normally I would say that I'm sorry for leaving, but I'm not and you deserve better than lies. I'm sorry for leaving without a proper goodbye and I'm sorry for not going through with a responsibility I've taken on. But I'm not sorry for putting myself in first place for once in my life. I've done so much for everyone. For my friends, my enemies and Paris. It's about time that I do something for myself._

_I wish you all of luck in pursuing Hawkmoth and it's with sorrow I say that I'm not going to be there when you finally take him down. Please think of me when you do. I'll think of you then._

_This is were I should sign with Ladybug, but you are no longer in any risk for knowing who I am. Pity I can't say the same._

_Goodbye and thank you for everything._

_Marinette Dupain-Cheng_

The first few minutes after he'd read the letter was spent in silence.

He didn't do anything else than stare on the horizon.

It took some minutes for it all to compute.

It wasn't until everything had sunk in that he let himself react.

He let out the most anguished scream he could muster.

And when that didn't help he sat back down and leaned onto the metal structure.

He finally knew Ladybug's identity.

He shut his eyelids tightly and bit down on his tongue.

He continuously banged his head against the wall of metal and he knew he had a strained smile on his lips.

As Chat Noir sat there one thought echoed in his head.

Is a bittersweet victory still a victory?


	3. Master Fu

It was with great sadness he watched the wielder of the black cat miraculous leave.

Only experience told him that the slumped figure would be able to move on.

He knew first hand how much it hurt to lose someone you loved.

"Master, I don't understand. They are made for each other. How could this be happening?" Wayzz questioned.

It was clear that the kwami was both confused and distressed.

He had to think carefully before he gave an answer.

"They were made for each other, but Lady... Marinette have been broken and she is now putting the pieces back together. She won't be putting the pieces back to how they were." He sighed. "Sometimes soulmates just grow apart."

And wasn't that true?

Marinette and Adrien were like puzzle pieces.

Very intricate puzzle pieces, but puzzle pieces nonetheless.

They had been made for each other.

Two pieces that somehow fit perfectly together.

Just like yin and yang.

It could have lead to something beautiful, but sometimes it's not meant to be.

Marinette's puzzle piece had been broken into so many, tiny pieces.

She knew it and was doing this so she could fix herself back up.

Something broken can become whole again, but it will never be the same again.

Marinette's puzzle piece would be whole again.

She was too stubborn for anything else to happen and she was already making progress.

The small pieces she had was coming together again, but not in the way they once were.

And in the end she would have a piece that no longer fit with Adrien.

It was the sad reality of things.

In the distance he could hear a scream that could only be described as utter dejection.

Most of Paris probably heard it.

He didn't need to wonder about the identity of the person that let out the scream of desperation.

It was rather obvious.

Wayzz turned to look out the window with him. "She'd still make an excellent guardian of the miracle box."

You should always think before you speak, but this was an exception.

He knew how to answer and no hesitation was needed.

"Yes, she would." There was no real question about it. "That possibility isn't lost and maybe she someday will be. Only time can tell."

He was 186 years old and had seen and done much.

Being old didn't mean he was delusional and he wasn't afraid to admit it.

He was old and he had accepted long ago that he wouldn't live forever.

He could already feel his time quickly approaching.

A few years at most.

He was the last guardian of the miracle box and the legacy was not allowed to die with him.

No, it would have to be passed on.

Passed on to someone that understood the responsibility and the feeling of wielding a miraculous. Someone that could learn everything there was to know about the miraculouses and someone that could be trusted to make good decisions.

If he was being honest with himself there wasn't even any other candidates than Miss Dupain-Cheng.

Maybe he should look for other options, but something kept telling him that someday she would be ready to accept the position.

He just hoped it was before his inevitable passing.

But that was a problem for another day.

Now the problem was finding the next wielder of the Ladybug miraculous.

It would have to be a person that was compatible with Chat Noir and would be up for the duties of a superhero.

As luck would have it he could see a teenage girl walking down the road.

She had that same determined look that Marinette used to have when she decided to do something.

The girl was in all other senses completely ordinary.

He should focus on something else, but his stomach told him to keep watching.

It was a good decision because not long after the girl ran onto the road and pulled an old man out of the way of a speeding car.

He was a firm believer in fate.

If that hadn't been fate than he was a five footed snake.

He had found the next Ladybug.

After giving out so many miraculouses through the years he was used to the feeling of satisfaction that came with finding a new holder.

This time it felt different.

The satisfaction was still there, but so was something else too.

No previous holder had ever returned a miraculous by own initiative.

It left a bit of sadness to taint the satisfaction.

And as Master Fu left a small box in the girl's bedroom he wore a smile, but still a tear escaped his eyes.

It was a bittersweet chapter of the Ladybug legacy.


	4. Caline Bustier

She was supposed to be a good teacher.

Her students often told her she was their favourite teacher and it always brought the same smile to her lips.

She believed in making her personal mission to make each of her students' time in her classroom worthwhile.

School was supposed to be a place to learn and prosper.

A place where everlasting friendships are made.

Some people even find the love of their life in a classroom.

So how could it be that she had missed how one of her students were getting bullied, alienated and mentally beaten everyday?

And not by a single or a few people, but by the entire class except Chloe.

She had personally never stopped believing in the blonde, but this was the first time she ever felt such pride for her.

It was clear that Chloe was trying to be a better person and she was improving with leaps and bounds.

But that was not the reason for the headache she was already beginning to get.

School hadn't even started for the day yet and she already felt the need to sleep for weeks and forget the rest of the world existed.

She couldn't do that though because she had a very important talk to have with her class.

They needed to know how serious this was.

Two students had decided to, not only transfer, but to move to another country to get away from continuous bullying.

And hadn't that hurt?

She had been unaware of anything happening until Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain had visited her office together with both girls and Chloe's parents.

It had been a long and very informative talk.

She'd ended up missing her last lesson of the day.

It didn't matter in comparison to what she had to hear.

Marinette clearly knew what she was doing as she told her everything from the very beginning and to the end.

Sometimes Chloe piped in with some detail Marinette had missed or something that Marinette hadn't been there to witness or hear.

Her stomach clenched when she thought of the look Marinette had worn when the adults had taken over and explained what they were going to do.

It hadn't been a look of someone that had been defeated or broken beyond repair.

Her eyes had shined with a flame she'd never thought she would see on the petite girl before.

They had given a silent promise that she was going to move on with her life and succeed at everything people said she couldn't do.

The usually innocent eyes hadn't promised revenge as most people would have thought.

No, they had determinedly made it clear that this was for her own sake she was doing this.

And that's why she so easily agreed to everything Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng and Mr. and Mrs Bourgeois had proposed.

Because a teenager with such strong spirit shouldn't have to worry about what the people that used to be her friends would accuse her of next.

She tried her best to not have favourites, but she could reluctantly admit that Marinette was one of hers.

It was hard not to like the girl that managed to do so many things and handle them perfectly while arriving late to half of her classes and still getting passing grades.

It was easy to get a big head from stuff like that, but not Marinette.

And knowing that one of the sweetest girls in existence had had such a horrible experience in her classroom only made her queasy.

She would need to talk with her students and she knew it wouldn't end well.

Telling them that Marinette and Chloe had transferred would be the easy part.

They would need to explain exactly what they thought they were doing and she would have to punish them accordingly.

Principal Damocles had put the risk of expulsion on the table and oh, how she prayed it wouldn't come to that.

But deep down she knew it would be in vain.

She would be lucky if even half of her class managed to avoid getting expelled.

They had laid their bed and now they'd have to lay in it.

For better or for worse.

There was no real doubt that it would be for worse.

She turned her head up to the wall so she could catch a glimpse of the time.

Thirty minutes until she would have to face them all.

There was something she had to do before that.

She braced herself and reached for the phone.

Caline Bustier let her eyes wonder as she waited for someone to pick up.

The framed class photo on her desk used to fill her with pride, but now she could only feel a bittersweet kind of regret at the sight of the bluenette in the middle of the picture.


	5. Chloe Bourgeois

She closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

It had been a long month and it had been tiring.

Not so much physically as mentally.

It had been a learning curve.

Being nice was difficult.

Being a friend was ten times harder.

Someone had once told her that being a friend was like riding a bike.

Once you've got it, you've got it.

Too bad she never learnt to ride that bike.

She'd needed a lot more time than she'd care to admit to truly realise that she'd never had a real friend before.

Adrien let her make all decisions and he was so afraid to lose her that he never went against anything she said and Sabrina had been closer to a maid or a slave than a friend.

And those were the two people that had been her closest.

Not now though.

Now she had found a friend.

If anyone had told her a year ago that her first friend would be Dupain-Cheng she would have called them insane and gotten a restraining order to keep the madness away.

But Marinette was the epitome of goodness.

It was why she had bullied her.

Looking at a person that has everything you want is a challenge.

And Marinette had it all.

Friends, loving parents and a personality that pulled people to her.

Then there was the talent for designing.

Someday Marinette Dupain-Cheng would be a name with power.

A name that everyone would know.

There was no doubt in her mind that Marinette would go far.

And she would do her best to be on her side the whole way.

It was the least she could do.

The girl had tried to educate her about what a friendship was supposed to be and so far it was going well enough.

...

Who was she trying to fool?

They'd had a blast.

The first few days after Lila had come back had been tough and in the beginning they considered each other uneasy and temporary allies.

But as the fake girl's reign of terror got worse they grew closer.

The glares, accusations and isolation happened to both of them, but Marinette got the brunt of it.

She was used to being the bad guy.

What irritated her the most was that this time it was unfounded.

Since the Queen Bee incident she had tried her best to be a better person.

Marinette had been their friend though and she had been close to a breakdown.

She clearly remembered the scene she'd walked in on.

When she went looking for her former enemy she didn't expect to find her in a miserable heap on the floor of the restroom with an akuma less than three feet away from her.

She didn't expect to see a kwami zip into the crying girl's purse either.

It would have gone unnoticed or been dismissed by most people.

But she had been Queen Bee and knew what she had seen.

And she had just seen a ladybug themed kwami hide in Dupain-Cheng's bag

A lot of things started to made sense, but she chose to put it of for later.

She could freak out when they weren't running the risk of an akumatization.

Let's say they had an enlightening and very private conversation once the threat was over.

It went without saying that they bonded.

After that they'd started spending more and more time together.

It had escalated from joint lunches and walking to school together to spending most of their spare time in each other's presence.

It was fun.

Sleepovers, family dinners with the Dupain-Chengs, ice-cream in the park, going shopping together...

She loved it all.

School was a necessary pause in the wonderful life she had outside of Collége Françoise Dupont.

And the contrast between her school life and her life outside of school was as clear as black and white.

She opened her eyes to look out of the window.

They were soon clear for take off.

This was all new and... in a way it was unexpected.

It had been one of the biggest surprises in her life when Marinette told her what she was planning to do.

It was even more surprising to find out that her mother had already agreed to it.

But the biggest shock was hearing her mother ask her personally to come and live with them in New York.

They had been trying to patch their relationship together since the failed fashion show, but this was a huge step.

And everything after that had been a blur.

She kind of remembered telling her dad she'd visit.

They had talked to Miss Bustier at some point and since then they hadn't gone to school.

Somewhere along the line she had gone shopping with her mother for new suitcases.

It would be apparently be a fashion travesty if the Audrey Bourgeois and her daughter's luggage didn't match.

And she had packed her bags yesterday while video chatting with Marinette that was packing her own bags.

The pilot made an announcement that she barely listened to.

Then they started moving.

As they approached the runway she let her thoughts go and it wasn't before they were in the air she felt the urge to look back out of the window.

Look back at a place with so many memories from times long gone.

She'd grown up in Paris and it had been a wonderful home, but most of it reminded her of a person she had let go of for good.

She was a new person except no one was willing to see it.

Maybe that was why she felt comfort in leaving for a place were nobody knew her for the person she had been.

The past was in the past.

No point dwelling on it.

And without looking Chloe Bourgeois pulled the cover over the window.

Bittersweet it may be, but she'd get over it.


	6. Lila Rossi

It had been a lot easier than she had expected.

She didn't even have to try that hard.

They were all so gullible.

All except Marinette and that Bourgeois girl.

She told people what they wanted to hear, but those two had already learnt that face value seldom kept up to it's promises.

Adrien was a different story altogether.

He knew what she was doing to some point, but his backbone was nonexistent and his belief that as long as no one confronted her everything would go back to normal was naive.

She liked him that way.

It meant she would be the one holding the strings when she finally married him.

But back to her two oppositors.

Neither of them had been in school for just about one week now.

It had been marvellous getting the time to watch her seeds grow in the class' hearts.

They were now so beautifully ensnared by her that it would take a miracle for them to ever turn on her.

In the beginning it had been her that "informed" them of all the dreadful things their class president had done.

It had spiralled from there.

One day Max told them how revolting it was that Marinette had taken his place in a video game tournament and the next thing she knew people were getting more and more willing to share their personal experiences with the "sweet girl that had always been a hidden bully".

She made sure to always bring the attention back to her, but never before getting in a few of her own jabs.

The biggest nail in the coffin had been when Alya told them about Marinette's stalker habits.

She'd even seen the girl in question listening in from behind a potted plant.

It had been a legitimate challenge trying to hold of the smirk that had been threatening to surface.

It got even harder when Marinette ran away crying when Alya told the class about a particular schedule hanging off her wall.

That had been an excellent day.

She would have never thought her two oppositors would band together after that incident, but they managed to surprise her.

But they hadn't done anything to try and break her hold on the class and she didn't know what to think about that.

After the one week absence she was close to believing they had given up, but that was impossible.

Right?

And it was with those thoughts in mind that she settled down at her seat as the bell rang.

Adrien was sitting beside her as usual.

Unusual was the fact that he looked like a wreck.

His face was blank as anything and he looked dead tired.

His eyes were usually an abyss of comfort and goodwill, but none of those were present today.

They just looked empty.

She wondered what had happened to him, but decided to wait until break before comforting him.

Maybe he would date her if she showed him that she cared.

She didn't have time to continue down that road of thought because Miss Bustier entered the classroom with an indescribable facial expression.

Her gut feeling was telling her that this would be the time that would either make or break her.

She didn't know which one it would be yet.

Miss Bustier stood there in front of them without saying anything at all.

No chatter could be heard anymore as everyone had quieted when it became obvious something was amiss.

The silence was thick.

The sound of the clock ticking was the only noise audible.

It was the kind of silence that made you scared to breath too loudly.

Time could have slowed down and they would probably not have noticed.

She chanced a look around her and everyone was just as confused as herself.

Everyone except the blond model beside her.

His face was just as blank with the same lack of interest, but something else in his body language told her a different story.

He already knew what this was about.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng and Miss Bourgeois has officially stopped attending Collége Françoise Dupont and are hereby continuing their education in another country."

Then the silence returned.

She had never heard Miss Bustier speak this formal before.

It was quite clear that no one else had either.

And then the meaning of the words that had been said sank in.

The two people that stood in her way had fled France.

She would have to celebrate when she got home.

It wasn't everyday that tasted this sweet.

She leaned her back and looked up into the ceiling to hide her giddy face she surely was wearing.

One month and she had finally won.

And she hadn't even had to do anything outside of her normal routine.

Her eyes didn't move away from the ceiling before she was sure she had everything under lock and key.

The reactions varied from person to person.

Nathaniel had lost the grip on his pencil and was left gaping.

He was definitely not prepared for these news.

Further in the back she could hear Rose asking Juleka why Marinette left.

Poor Rose had thought it all had been innocent teasing.

She didn't catch Juleka's answer, but she already knew Juleka was one of the few people that had only listened instead of actively participating in any of their conversations.

Some people had started yelling, Alya included.

Adrien didn't show any visible reaction.

He knew.

There was no doubts about it anymore.

Max was stating the statistics of it all while rubbing his forehead.

This most have gone against logic if he was stumped.

She let the chaos soak in.

It was music to her ears.

This would all end up being to her benefit.

Miss Bustier had to actually shout for the silence to return and that didn't work until twenty minutes after the announcement.

"That's enough! You should know better than this." Their teacher looked them all over and stopped at her. "We have some things that need to be cleared up and we have a guest that will help us with that."

All eyes turned to the door and her mother walked in with firm steps.

Was it too much to hope for Hawkmoth to akumatize her?

Because it was in that moment Lila Rossi knew she was screwed.

How could something end with such a bittersweet note?


	7. Luka Couffaine

It didn't surprise him.

How could it?

The only thing that surprised him was that she didn't do it earlier.

Yesterday evening he had met up with her and he had been able to tell she was nervous.

She had been fidgeting and avoided looking him in the eyes.

It had started a week ago.

It kept getting more and more obvious that she wasn't telling him something.

In the end he asked her what it was about.

She'd broken down to tears.

Apologises and explanations had come bumbling out in an incomprehensible mess.

He caught the gist of it though.

Today she would do something that she didn't want him to know.

Marinette was sure he would try to talk her out of it and didn't want to risk it.

He didn't ask her to either.

If she didn't want to tell him he wouldn't force her to.

He had pulled her into a hug and they had stayed like that for the rest of the evening.

And when they later stood at the door saying their goodbyes, she told him that she was sorry for not telling him and that she would understand if he hated her for it when he eventually found out.

It had been with true sincerity he assured her that he could never hate her.

You didn't need to be a genius to tell she didn't believe him.

She'd turned to leave the houseboat, but had visibly hesitated.

The picture of her spinning around and kissing his cheek was still on the forefront of his mind.

"Goodbye," she said before walking away.

He'd known in his heart that it wasn't the normal kind of goodbye.

That's when he'd caught on.

She was leaving.

No, he wasn't surprised to find out she'd left France.

Juleka was the one to tell him.

His sister had made some poor choices, but that didn't make her any less of his sister.

It was his job as big brother to help her sort through these feelings.

Therefor he listened as she told him everything.

It was a story he'd already heard before, but from a very different perspective.

He explained to Juleka that sometimes you messed up badly.

Sometimes worse than others.

The important thing was to learn from your mistakes and do your best to rectify your wrongdoings.

It didn't always entail getting forgiven and going back to the way it had been before.

Sometimes it meant apologising without seeking forgiveness.

Sometimes you had to let go and keep moving forwards.

He made sure she knew that, no matter how much it could hurt to accept the cruel reality of it.

He himself knew hurt, but another sort.

It had hurt when he ran into Marinette and Chloe and they informed him of the happenings that brought the two girls together.

The hurt he felt was for the girl he loved.

Yes, loved.

He wasn't afraid of admitting it.

He loved her.

It was out of respect that he first hadn't told her.

She liked another and it would be wrong of him to get between that.

He personally couldn't see what made her fall for the blond, but as long as she was happy he wouldn't complain.

As long as she was happy.

Then he heard how the model had nearly crushed Marinette's very soul.

It was impressive that he didn't get akumatized.

Maybe Hawkmoth knew better than to try controlling a furious Couffaine, but that would probably never be proven.

From then on he didn't tell her because she didn't need a love confession while she was still dealing with a previous heartbreak.

He chose to become a close friend instead and he didn't regret it for a second.

Meeting up with the girls was suddenly a regular occurrence.

Used to being a loner, he had never been one to have friends that knew him for the person he was.

It was refreshing.

Now Marinette had left and Chloe had followed.

It would feel weird going back to being alone.

Not completely alone, he corrected himself as he looked down at Juleka.

She'd fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder.

He wouldn't dream of waking her.

It was moments like these that he cherished and kept close to his heart.

They didn't happen much anymore.

The harsh truth was that his sister was growing up and she didn't need him anymore.

She had her own life and her own friends.

Juleka might choose to drop some of her friendships, but she would survive.

She was strong like that.

His phone made a low small noise and he took care to keep Juleka from awakening.

_Marinette 20:34_

_My new adress. Make sure to send me postcards when you become famous and go on your own tours:)_

Attached was an adress in New York.

His heart was beating hard and for a moment he worried that it would break out of his chest.

It didn't calm until he heard footsteps behind him.

His mom entered the room and took a seat.

She smiled at the sight of her sleeping daughter

"I saw the letter." Then she connected her eyes with his. "Are you going?"

"I wasn't going to." He turned his eyes to the text that taunted him. "But things changed. Is it stupid to make a decision without knowing if I have a chance?"

He looked to her for guidance.

His mom had a knowing smile on her lips. "You won't know the end of the song if you stop listening."

And he knew what he had to do.

He had to know.

Luka Couffaine spent the rest of the night watching his sister's still form.

He hoped this wasn't the bittersweet end.


	8. Tikki

She'd done it so many times.

It never stopped hurting.

Everytime she lost a holder was painful regardless of the reason.

And there was an endless supply of reasons, situations and ways.

Sometimes a holder turned in their miraculous to the guardian when a threat was neutralised.

Others lost the ability to be Ladybug because of a permanent injury.

Some died of sickness and others in the heat of battle.

There was hundreds of reasons for previous Ladybug wielders to stop being a spotted hero.

Most lead to sad goodbyes.

Marinette was different though.

She didn't have favourites, but if she did Marinette would be hers.

All kwamis favoured a specific trait and worked best with people that had it.

Noroo searched for empathy.

Duusu fell for any soul with loving nature.

Wayzz wanted protective holders.

Trixx sought cunning people.

Pollen yearned for determindness.

Plagg preferred braveness.

She had a thing for creativity.

History remembered her bugs for their creations.

They knew how to get out of a sticky situation and made the best with what they had.

Creativity came in many forms and so had her holders.

She'd had artists, musicians and other artistic individuals.

Marinette wasn't her first fashion designer.

The bluenette had been the first of her holders to truly stick out though.

She had tried to figure out why Marinette was so... unique for weeks after getting her as holder.

It had hit her eventually.

All her previous Ladybugs had been creative.

There was no doubt that Marinette was creative.

But she was also emphatic, loving, protective, cunning, determined and brave.

She could just as easily have been a holder to any other of the main miraculouses.

After that realisation she considered herself lucky being the kwami that got the honour of working with Marinette.

She knew better than to hope for forever.

She wasn't prepared for it to end so quickly.

It had been her idea, but it wasn't what she wanted.

When Marinette asked for her opinion and advise she could have told her everything would ber okay and to wait it out.

But Marinette deserved better than empty promises and selfdestructive advise.

Her holder was breaking because of a liar.

She didn't like people that messed with her bugs and would have loved to have Plagg's power so she could have used cataclysm on the girl.

It would have been well deserved.

She told Marinette that it was honourable to take the high road, but that didn't mean she just had to take it.

Bullying should never be accepted.

And New York was an open door waiting to be used.

Telling Marinette to go had been a lot more painful than saying goodbye to Ladybugs laying on their deathbeds.

Their last week together had been filled with preparations needed to be done, but they had taken the time to have their own goodbye party in Marinette's room

It made her smile just thinking of it.

But now it was time to move forward.

Master Fu had found a potential holder and then asked her if it would be manageable.

She honestly hadn't been surprised when she found out who he wanted to make the new Ladybug.

There was a balance needed between the black cat and the ladybug.

Adrien had changed since he became Chat Noir and his new partner had to be different than the last.

The new Ladybug could teach him to stand up for people that are being hurt in other ways than physical.

Even himself.

Her holder had taken it all in better than expected.

They'd even joined the fray in an akuma attack earlier that afternoon.

The reporters were having a field day, but "Marieta" handled it like a pro.

That was probably for the best considering Chat Noir had been quite out of it.

He must have read the letter.

Marinette had used more than three hours writing it and that had been without counting the time she put on the envelope.

She had read it.

It was painfully obvious for someone that knew Chat's secret identity that it would cut deep.

But Marinette didn't know and maybe he would finally realise what he had done.

It would be too late to fix everything, but it would be a powerful learning experience.

"Sleep well," her holder whispered before putting out the lights.

The girl had taken to superheroing like a duck to water.

She'd had all kinds of holders, but this one was different and not in the same way as Marinette.

The girl certainly was creative in battle and she worked well with Adrien, but it wasn't a perfect fit.

It was sad when a person was given a miraculous that just wasn't meant for them.

She had only known the girl for a day and could already think of a few kwamis that would have suited her better.

Loong would have done anything to have her as a holder.

They would have gotten along as a house on fire.

But for now she would have to do.

It wouldn't be forever.

No, that she was sure of.

Someday Marinette Dupain-Cheng would be the guardian of the miracle box and when that happened she would be by her side.

She'd made up her mind.

That meant it would happen.

Her current holder would be fine.

She'd be a powerful superheroine one day, but not with her as her kwami.

"Goodnight Kagami."

Tikki let a smile set as she snuggled deeper into the pillow.

It might be bittersweet now, but it was only temporary.


	9. Closure

** _Ladybug takes leave; Marieta steps up_ **

_It's with great sadness this reporter informs you that Paris' celebrated superheroine, Ladybug, has put her mask aside for the foreseeable future._

_This is unexpected and great shock has been shown all over the city._

_Earlier today there was an akuma attack at the Trocadéro by Mr. Pigeon. Chat Noir arrived at the scene within minutes and tried subduing the bird themed akuma. It was going well until Mr. Pigeon got in a lucky shot. Just as Chat Noir was about to be overwhelmed a yoyo flew through the air and knocked the constantly returning akuma down._

_The yoyo was not Ladybug's._

_Instead a different girl in polka dots entered the fight and her _ _outfit made it quite clear who she was supposed to be._

_She was wearing a somewhat loose one piece with short sleeves and three quarter long trousers. A mask covered her face. Her hair was short and tied with ribbons. Everything was red with black spots. (See attached photo)_

_Chat Noir did not show any signs of surprise which leads us to believe that he already knew about this new hero._

_Together they ended the fight without any struggle. (More about the attack itself on page 11)_

_Then reporters from all of Paris, myself included, asked the questions we all wanted answers to._

_The girl introduced herself as Marieta._

_Marieta handled the pressure of the press with finess and was more than willing to give a short explanation._

_In the end it all came down to one thing._

_Ladybug had personal affairs to handle and had thereby handed over the responsibility of Paris safety to Marieta._

_When asked if she considered it difficult replacing someone as loved as Ladybug she answered: "I'm not replacing anyone. I'm not Ladybug; I'm Marieta. Right now I'm another hero, just as Carapace or Rena Rouge. It doesn't matter what colours I wear and it doesn't mean that we're supposed to disrespect the hero that came before me. Ladybug has been a great hero in her own right and should be treated as such."_

_Chat Noir didn't comment, but showed his agreement._

_The two superheroes left not too much later._

_I can only think of two things left to say._

_Thank you Ladybug and welcome Marieta._

* * *

** _Translation found._ **

_Catalan: Marieta - _ _English: Ladybug_

* * *

** _What's happening with Adrien Agreste?_ **

_Most known for his father's fashion company and his own modelling career, teenage model Adrien Agreste has always been the epitome of perfection._

_This might not be correct anymore._

_This afternoon the younger Agreste could be found attending the yearly charity dinner at Le Grand Paris._

_All of Paris wealthy were in attendance and a lot of deals were agreed upon during this event._

_Despite Gabriel Agreste being present for the first time in years, Adrien was the one that caught most of the media's attention._

_Adrien Agreste was for the first time every seen with a less than perfect appearance and posture._

_He had clear bags under his eyes and was slouching. His clothes might have been Gabriel, but they were ruffled._

_He was out of it to say the least._

_Multiple accounts tell us how he kept staring into space, sigh and even bang his head against the wall._

_What does this mean?_

_Most think that the model has been having a secret fling that turned out bad._

_Other popular theories involve crushes, the mafia and other similar reasons for this pelicular behaviour._

_These theories were only strengthened when Adrien seemingly disappeared somewhere in the middle of the dinner to later return without any explanation._

_More information at a later date._

* * *

** _#ThankYouLadybug and #WelcomeMarieta currently trending_ **

* * *

_ **The queen of fashion returns to NY** _

_Audrey Bourgeois, famous fashion critique, have been in Paris for the last few weeks._

_The visit was only supposed to be for a couple of days, but our sources says she stayed longer to regain contact with her estranged daughter, Chloe Bourgeois._

_Doesn't the thought of a good family reunion warm your heart?_

_Despite the initial bumps in the road (the Queen Wasp, Queen Bee and Malediktator incidents) their mother-daughter relationship seems to have improved._

_However, now it's been confirmed that Mrs. Bourgeois is returning to New York._

_Her return has been awaited and is just in time for the beginning of preparations for Fashion Week._

_It is rumoured that she is bringing a Parisian girl with her to America to serve as her protege._

_This remains unconfirmed._

* * *

_ **Error 404** _

_This page doesn't exist._

* * *

_ **Ambassador's daughter sent to boarding school for troubled ** _ ** _youths_ **

_The scandal everyone wants to know about regards ambassador Rossi's daughter, Lila Rossi._

_Lila Rossi has been to multiple school through the years because of her mother's work and thereby never gotten any chance to truly settle down. _ _The Italian ambassador has at a handful of times stated that it's been tough on the girl, but that she's a charming individual that's taken it all in stride._

_That has been proven untrue today._

_The entire thing came to light when the ambassador got a call from her daughter's teacher this morning._

_The teacher was calling to confirm a few statements Lila had given to teachers and students alike. _ _These statements varied in seriousness, but had caused quite the stir._

_Ambassador Rossi took the rest of the day off and headed for the school to get to the bottom of things._

_The rest of the morning was spent at Collége Françoise Dupont to solve an issue that had arisen._

_Apparently Lila Rossi had gotten back to school a month earlier from a trip to Achu where she worked closely with Prince Ali._

_Her mother had been under the impression that the school was closed to deal with the damage from akuma attacks._

_It only got worse from there._

_Lila had been spreading lies about famous figures as Jagged Stone and Ladybug to capture the attention of all her classmates._

_She also lied to tarnish the reputation of the mayor's daughter, Chloe Bourgeois, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. _ _This in turn lead to a lot of students that followed her lead and started talking badly about them and ostracised them. _ _Both girl have left the school to seek education at a place where they don't get bullied._

_Principal Damocles was hard pressed by several parents to deliver serious repercussions._

_Following students were expelled because of grave bullying and slander: Lila Rossi, Alya Césaire, Max Kanté, Alix Kubdel, Nino Lahiffe, Lê Chiến Kim and Sabrina Raincomprix._

_The rest of the students all got less serious punishments including detentions and cleaning duty._

_From now on Collége Françoise Dupont has a strict no-bullying policy._

_Ambassador Rossi has chosen to send Lila to a boarding school in Switzerland for troubled youths with hope for improvement from her only child._

_How this will effect our Italian ambassador's career is unclear at the moment._

* * *

Marinette closed her laptop.

This was something she had needed to do.

She needed closure.

Her eyes went to the window and she caught her first glimpse of New York.

And as in slowmotion everything changed.

Her stomach loosened up and all negative feelings left her.

For just one moment she forgot it all.

Instead relief and excitement bubbled up.

She kept staring out at what would now be her home for who knew how long and everything finally sank in.

A few tears rolled down her cheeks unnoticed, but her face was set in the biggest smile she'd had for a long time.

She let the laugh she'd been holding back out.

It might be bittersweet, but was not the end.

This was only the beginning.


	10. Epilogue

** _A few years later_ **

_"-the powercouple of New York has returned to Paris. Dubbed as the Prince of Music and Princess of Fashion they have taken the world by storm for the last few years. Both are known for working closely with famous icons such as Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale and Thomas Astruc. They finally tied-"_

Marinette switched channel on the radio.

One of Clara's new songs started and she went back to the boxes.

She hummed and gave a little twirl as she took up a few books and put them in the bookcase.

It continued like that for a few songs and the pile of boxes quickly shrunk.

Then she opened the last box and the first thing she pulled out was their wedding photo.

She stopped moving and it was like the music wasn't playing anymore.

It was a simple photograph with all of them on the stairs outside the place they had the reception at.

She was standing in the middle of the picture in a beautiful wedding dress holding a bouquet with red flowers. Luka had his arm hooked around her waist and the love in his eyes was palpable.

Unnoticed, a smile made it's way onto her face.

On each side of them stood their respective parents.

Maman and papan were both smiling widely and proudly.

Anarka was caught in the middle of a laugh and it somehow fitted her perfectly.

On the steps behind them were their bridesmaids and groomsmen.

They had three each.

Chloe was trying not to look too happy and failed quite miserably at it, Rose was fangirling and Juleka just had that fond look on her face.

The groomsmen were three of Luka's friends from school.

"What are you thinking about?"

She was very proud for not jumping straight up in the air.

He'd managed to sneak up on her again.

Marinette furrowed her eyebrows and smiled a bit wider. "I'm just thankful that you came to New York." And she was.

Luka had surprised her one day by turning up at her front door.

Some weird sense of luck had made it so he'd gotten a scholarship to an art school in NY.

It was dedicated to helping artists, musicians and other people with a talent for some kind of art to further their talents and eventually get jobs within their area.

He had applied more than a year earlier, but didn't think he'd actually get in so he didn't tell her about it.

And instead of telling her when he got the letter like a normal person, he decided to give her a small heart attack.

While she was still gaping by the door he had handed over a postcard with the Statue of Liberty on the front.

She had told him she expected postcards, but this was not what she meant.

Luka hugged her from behind. "I'm thankful for that too. Otherwise I might not have had the world's most amazing girl as my wife."

They'd dated for a few years and married six months ago, but he still managed to make her feel like a lovesick teenager whenever he said things like that.

Worse was that he knew and took full advantage of it.

Good thing she knew how to tease him back.

She twisted around with the agility of a cat and gave him a quick kiss before disappearing from his reach to appear at the bookcase and put down the framed photo on the shelf.

It all happened in seconds.

His arms were hugging air and his eyes was just a bit glazed.

Then he shook it all off and turned his eyes back to her.

She would never get tired of that loving look.

This time he didn't take the bait, but that was okay.

They ended on even grounds.

"How's the unpacking coming along?"

Right, the unpacking.

She looked around the room.

They were in the living room and nearly everything was in it's place.

"I only have one box left," she eventually answered.

He bent down and picked up another cardboard box.

She hadn't noticed it until then.

Luka came over to her side of the room and put the box down on the sofa. "Your parents sent over some things they thought you might want to have from your old room."

Marinette frowned.

There wasn't really anything worth bringing over from her childhood home.

Everything worthwhile had been brought with her to New York.

She started digging through the box.

Could you blame a girl for being curious?

Nothing really grabbed her attention until her hands reached a very familiar object.

She took it out of the box and turned it around in her hands.

Her wonderful husband looked, oh so very confused. "What kind of box is that?"

"It's my diary." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. "I'd completely forgotten about it."

Luka put a arm around her shoulders. "Well then you'll have loads to write about by now."

* * *

"How is the police handling the constant threats to Paris' safety?"

"Have you been hiring more law enforcement personnel to cover the growing criminality rate?"

"What about our own superheroes? Are they getting the training needed?"

"Do you have courses to learn how to handle the less normal criminals of our beloved city?"

"Will Paris get any more heroes in the close future?"

Alya allowed herself a moment to take it all in.

She was in the middle of a large horde reporters.

Everyone was trying to get as close as possible so they would have a bigger chance of getting their questions answered.

Questions were coming from all directions.

Together with the sound of pens writing and paper pages being turned it drowned out all other noises.

A few cameras were going off and that looked like it was a news station going live.

It was loud, hectic and staggering.

Good thing she was used to situations like these.

"The police are handling it with great care. We do have a few more officers than normal because of the unusual situation and have all been prepared accordingly. Regarding Paris' superheroes we can't say more than that they are independent and outside the police department's jurisdiction." She pushed by all the reporters and made sure her partner followed her. "Further questions will have to be answered by the chief."

They both walked away with firm steps and a bit faster than usual to get away.

To think that she always wanted to be a reporter when she was younger.

It had been a real eyeopener when Lila's lies had been revealed.

She hadn't reacted well at the time.

Ignorance was bliss, but it didn't last forever.

Being expelled made sure of that.

Her parents had been furious and she didn't blame them.

She'd bullied her best friend out of the country without a second thought.

It had changed a lot of things.

All that was left when the denial and anger passed was the heartbreaking reality.

It made her realise that she didn't want to be a reporter.

She wanted to know the truth, but sharing it for sharing's sake didn't have any appeal anymore.

And a reporter's truth wasn't necessarily true.

She'd published stuff on her blog without fact checking.

The very thing she'd accused Marinette of.

The Ladyblog was taken down within the hour.

It wasn't worth it.

She still didn't know what had become of Marinette, but she hoped her former best friend was happy wherever she was.

The girl deserved happiness.

Now she was one of Paris' best detectives.

The truth was worth finding if it helped people.

Her life might have taken a different turn than she expected, but she had it good.

They didn't slow down until they were four blocks away and had taken seven different turns.

"I thought reporters only went after famous people." Nino's breathing were just a bit louder than normal. "They should put it down as an occupational hazard in the job description."

She didn't even bother trying to hide the snort. "Come on. We're already late."

* * *

Lila watched as Alya and Nino escaped from the press.

She was sitting on a bench in the park opposite the police department.

It was a coincidence that she even noticed them.

This was the first time she'd seen them since the day her carefully crafted empire came crumbling down.

They'd changed, but then so had she.

She hadn't been to Paris since everything happened.

By now she'd put down her roots in Switzerland.

Her life was there now.

This was only a short trip.

Nothing more.

She turned her attention to the other occupants of the area.

A few girls surrounded the bench beside her.

There was a girl sitting on the backrest.

The girl had brown hair, coppar skin and golden brown eyes.

"Chat Noir asked me to be his girlfriend once. I had to explain why I couldn't enter a relationship with such a big age difference. It was difficult breaking his heart like that."

The girls that were flocking around her listened attentively and soaked in every word.

It felt so familiar.

She couldn't help, but keep listening.

"I gave him some advice regarding a certain superheroine and we all know how that turned out."

The audience all awed.

This continued for a few minutes until the girl's fans eventually had to leave.

The girl stayed.

"You shouldn't lie to them." Lila didn't know what possessed her to say that.

The girl immediately went on the defensive. "Who said I was lying?"

This truly was ironic.

She snorted and turned so she was facing the younger girl. "Well, for starters you wouldn't react so strongly if I was wrong."

It was comedic how the girl's entire posture ended up changing. "What's it to you?"

That was a good question.

One she didn't really have an answer for.

Why did she care?

The girl reminded her of herself.

That's why.

"It doesn't bother me." She shrugged. "But when your friends find out they'll never talk to you again. Lies are an awful ground to build friendships on. It doesn't last."

"That's if they find out."

"Believe me. They will." She spared a look towards the direction Alya and Nino had disappeared. "They always do."

The girl didn't seem to believe her, but then she wouldn't have either.

Sometimes you just had to learn the hard way.

"Come on, Manon. We have to get going." One of the reporters was looking towards them.

The girl beside her got up. "Coming, mum."

Lila watched them walk away.

At least she tried.

* * *

They had awful luck.

It was the only possible explanation.

Of all the places there could be a hostage situation it had to be at the one place where all of Paris superheroes were.

It didn't help that they were in their civilian identities and had no way of getting away unseen either.

Really, what kind of robbers took a coffee shop hostage?

She'd call them stupid, but since they had five superheroes at the ends of their guns without even knowing it that probably wasn't the best idea.

Good thing they weren't the only heroes in Paris anymore.

She assessed the situation.

Five armed men.

One at the door, two by the hostages and two at the cash register.

This would be easier than she first thought.

Step one: Make them point their guns away from the civilians.

"You couldn't have waited for just one hour before you decided to rob the place? I was in the middle of a date."

It was more of a make out session, but they didn't have to know that.

She achieved her goal though.

All weapons were at an instant pointed at her.

No visible reaction made itself known on any part of her body.

She was sitting on a bar stool with her legs crossed.

In her hand she had a cup of coffee that she'd made when they weren't looking.

"Ladybug?!"

All the other occupants of the place did have very visible reactions to her presence.

There was a lot of wide eyes and unbelieving mumbles.

The now identified Ladybug rolled her eyes and took a good sip of coffee before slamming down the cup onto the table.

Step two: Kick butt.

Her yoyo flew through the air and wrapped around one of the robbers by the till.

One yank of the string and he was sent spinning into a wall.

One.

By now the others had started reacting.

The two by the hostages came running at her from each side.

She stood her ground as they came closer.

The one on the right reached her first by a second.

She grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder.

Hard.

He was knocked out cold.

Two.

The one on the left noticed the new obstacle in his path too late.

He tripped over his fallen comrade and came tumbling at her.

One push and he was sent straight over a table head first.

ducked as a punch flew just were her head had been moments before.

She didn't hesitate to sweep him of his legs.

Four.

Only one left.

It was the one by the door.

At least he was smarter and didn't run in blind.

He aimed his gun on her instead.

And was promptly hit in the head by a harp.

Five.

She knew she had that fond look on her face again.

Viperion stepped out of the shadows.

He moved around the room with ease despite the five unconscious people laying around.

Her husband somehow made his way to her side and handed her the coffee she hadn't been able to finish yet.

She hadn't even seen him pick it up.

It was an automatic response to take the beverage and drink it.

He handed her her coffee every morning when she was too tired to function like a human being.

Her eyes roamed around the room.

The mess was minimal.

That was good because the coffee was incredible.

It would truly be tragic if they had to close for reparations.

She might even take Luka here someday for a real date.

Her eyes connected with Adrien's for a split second.

It meant more than a look could possibly convey, but he obviously caught the gist of it.

That was enough for now.

She put down the empty cup on the closest table.

A bill and a few coins joined it.

She made sure to look at the cashier. "Keep the change."

Viperion opened the door for her and she heard him adress the hostages. "The present detectives might want to take a look at the van parked at the back. I have a feeling the unconscious getaway driver would love to share a cell with his friends."

They left together.

* * *

"You didn't tell us Ladybug was back in business." Rena Rouge was caught somewhere in between fangirling and accusing.

It was an odd mix.

Chat Noir took a step back and raised his hands in front of him. "I didn't know. I swear."

If Rena hadn't known that he was a terrible liar she probably wouldn't have believed him as easily.

Instead she turned to Chat's fiancée. "You didn't know anything either?" A shake of the head was her only answer. "Master Fu didn't tell you anything when he swapped out your miraculous?"

Sometimes the detective in her shone through.

"I've told you before. Master Fu and Tikki told me the dragon miraculous would suit me better. The only reason I had the ladybug for so long was because someone needed to cleanse all the akumas." Dragona was fed up with it all. "Nothing more."

The fox themed superheroine narrowed her eyes and tried to pick out any untruths.

She didn't find any.

"Ladybug hasn't been active in years." Alya clearly was in detective mode. "What changed?"

Carapace was the only one who'd ever succeeded in bringing her out of it when she got like this. "Does it really matter?"

His girlfriend span around on her heel and locked eyes with him. "It does when the first appearance she makes is at the one situation where all of us are unavailable. That's not a coincidence. She knows all our identities. Not just yours and mine. How did she find out? Did someone slip up? Did anyone tell her? Is she trustworthy? That's without even entering the topic of her unknown partner!"

Sometimes even Carapace failed.

"She could be the new guardian. Master Fu was training someone to take over when he died. In that case he obviously needed her to know." Chat Noir shrugged. "We'll have to see tomorrow."

His words did nothing to calm the stressed hero.

Dragona was hit with a realisation. "That's not what's bothering you. You're worrying about something else."

Chat tilted his head. "What else is there to worry about?"

"We're talking about Ladybug." Rena's voice was a lot quieter than before. "She gave me my miraculous. Out of everyone she chose me. What if I disappoint her? I might even have done it already without realising it."

It was surprisingly Mousette that answered. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

* * *

He opened the door and the four of them walked in.

Juleka had told them she'd meet them here.

It was a whole other place than what they'd gotten used to.

The walls were now in shades of light pink, but that wasn't the biggest difference.

Not even close.

He actually had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

This couldn't be real.

It could not be more obvious that this wasn't a massage parlor anymore.

There was mannequins with all sorts of outfits on.

On the walls cloth hangers were hung up with dresses and suits for all kinds of occasions.

Hats, jewellery and bags were on stands at a few places.

He was in no way a fashion expert, but even he could tell these were more than simply mass produced clothing.

Further in there was a counter with a high tech computer.

What he wouldn't do to have such a beautiful piece of technology.

There was a few armchairs in a waiting area of some kind with fashion magazines neatly stacked on a tiny table.

None of this had been here a few weeks ago.

Alya was looking around in wonder. "Wow."

Wow indeed.

"They're waiting for you in there." Not one of them had noticed the woman behind the counter. She was blonde and wore fancy, but casual clothes. Something at the back of his mind recognised her except he had no idea who she was. She was pointing at a door beside her. "You can go right in."

Kagami nodded and went to the door with confident steps.

She didn't turn around until she had her hand on the door handle. "Are you coming?"

They scrambled to catch up to her as she went in.

On the other side of the door was yet another place fit for a movie screen.

This time they had walked into a workroom.

It was big, but not empty.

Most of it was meant for sewing.

There was fabrics, buttons, zippers and a lot of stuff he had no idea what it was.

Three adjustable mannequins were in the corner with half finished dresses pinned on them.

There was a big table in the middle of the room with weird measurements drawn on it and at least three sewing machines in the back.

This had to be the dream for fashion designers.

His heart clenched a bit.

On the right wall there was mirrors and chairs he'd only seen at barbers before.

Shelves on either side of them had different kinds of supplies on them.

To the left he saw more makeup products than most shops had and to the right there was brushes, clips and other hair related things.

Two girls were by the table.

One was standing up and the other was sitting on a weird chair with wheels.

At closer inspection the one standing was Juleka.

She was standing with her arms right out while the other girl took her measurements.

The girl had her back to them so they couldn't see her face, but her hair was dark blue.

That had to be Ladybug.

They were less than ten feet away from her.

Adrien looked like he stopped breathing for a moment there.

Nino knew they hadn't ended things on good terms, but the blonde had never told anyone what really happened.

Then the world came to a screeching halt as she turned around and he just knew it had been worse than a simple fight.

Because standing in front of them was Ladybug, but that's not who they saw.

No, in front of them stood none other than Marinette with a measure tape around her neck and a pin cushion on her wrist.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was Ladybug.

* * *

It had been tense, but they worked through it.

He hadn't expected it to go half as well as it did.

He'd expected yelling.

There hadn't been any.

It had been unpersonal though.

Marinette made it very clear from the start that they might all have history together, but other than that they were just like strangers at this point.

So much had changed since he last seen her.

Gone was the bubbly girl that always stuttered and in her place was a confident and successful woman.

She'd always wanted to be a fashion designer and now she was.

Marinette was in her element.

The boutique was her dream that she now shared with Juleka and Chloe.

He'd always seen the good in Chloe.

In hindsight he hadn't done anything to help her become a better person.

He might not have encouraged her behaviour, but he hadn't objected too much either.

Adrien was proud of his childhood friend and a bit surprised.

Who knew she'd become a hairdresser?

Juleka hadn't said anything about her new job, but he didn't really blame her.

The goth probably had fun working with two friends with somewhat similar professions.

A fashion designer, a hairdresser and a makeup artist.

It was a good mix.

And then there was Marinette's husband.

When she had brought Luka as her date to the ice rink all those years ago he certainly didn't expect them to get married.

He was happy for her.

She deserved it.

Chat Noir shifted his weight a bit.

The meeting had mostly been spent on exchanging information and getting everyone on the same page.

Master Fu had chosen and trained her well.

She was up to date on eighty percent of the criminal activity in the city and the rest had been easy to explain.

Then they discussed the future of Ladybug, Viperion and Queen Bee.

Chloe said she would be on stand by if they ever needed her since she already had the comb and Pollen, but she wouldn't be an active hero.

Ladybug and Viperion would though.

A patrol plan had been made that worked with their schedules.

Luka had a few concerts and Marinette had her fashion shows that they needed to work around.

Marinette had been very clear at pointing out that there would be one week in a few months where they would be in Achu.

Apparently Marinette, Juleka and Chloe were going to be Rose's bridesmaids when she married Prince Ali.

He'd have to remember to send a card.

"What are you doing here kitty?"

He smiled as she took a seat next to him. "I needed a bit of air."

Ladybug was taking in the view. "Me too."

And in that moment it was like they were back exactly where they left off.

He wasn't naive enough anymore to believe everything would go back to the way things had been.

Too much had happened between them for that to be possible.

But that didn't matter right now.

Because right now they were just sitting on the top of the Eiffel Tower enjoying the view.

Just like old times.

* * *

_Dear Diary,_

_it's been a while since I last wrote anything and a lot has happened since then._

_My life has changed in ways that I never expected it to. _ _I never thought I'd be where I am today._

_I'm living the dream._

_Husband, apartment, Ladybug, boutique..._

_I have it all._

_Though I haven't gotten here without my fair share of life lessons._

_One in particular stands out to me._

_I've learnt that life has it's good and bad moments._

_They're both equally important._

_The good teaches us the beauty of life and all that comes with it._

_The bad teaches us to appreciate it._

_Then there are the bittersweet moments._

_Those that are both good and bad at the same time._

_They teach us the importance of knowing when to let go and walk away._

_We might feel empty, anguished, sad, regretful, resigned, unvictorious, hopeful, determined or any other emotion, but in the end..._

_That's okay._

_It's a part of living we can't escape from._

_The important thing is that we keep looking forward._

_Keep living._

_\- Marinette Couffaine ne. Dupain-Cheng_


End file.
